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Acid-washed jeans. Michael Jackson's music. Janet Jackson's music. Web searches on HotBot. All of the aforementioned are things that are unfashionable, and you can throw graphic-adventure games into the mix as well. In an age where nearly everything must be "extreme" or "fast and furious," graphic adventures simply aren't in demand. Nobody told this to Quantic Dream, however, and the developer has defied the norm with Indigo Prophecy. This heady adventure is different from what's on the market today, and it's so good that it just might save a dying genre. The PC version is a notch below its console brethren, but still worth a look.

Indigo Prophecy tells the story of Lucas Kane, an average Joe that's shoved into a dark and arcane situation when he finds himself stabbing a man in a restroom at a diner. Kane isn't able to control his actions and has no idea what drove him to such a grizzly crime. What he does know is that he has carved two snake-like symbols on his forearms and that he has to cover up his tracks and flee the diner. On his trail are two New York City police detectives, Carla Valenti and Tyler Miles. You experience the story from the perspective of all three characters, switching through various points in the game. The narrative blends suspense, occult, mystery, and more. It's a well-written story that's a cut above most videogame tales.

Adding a unique element to the story are the numerous decisions you have to make in the game. The main plot points don't really change, but smaller details change depending on the choices you make. For instance, there are a number of things Lucas can do to cover up his trail in the diner. If he happens to let one slip, the cops can use it to track him down easier. Many of the decisions change the characters' moods, which must be managed throughout the game. If you let one of the characters get too depressed it can end the game. There are also a couple of different endings that are triggered by a rather unobvious choice in the game. (Several journalists have equated the dynamic story to a Choose Your Own Adventure book, but I wouldn't go quite that far.)

Part of what makes the story come alive are the excellent characters. All three main characters are written well and supported by great voice acting. There are some clichés here and there, but for the most part they seem like real people caught up in a rather crazy adventure. Most of the relationships and interactions make sense (save for one really forced romance), and it's definitely one of the best voice acting casts of the year.

Indigo Prophecy features a unique control scheme that's accessible to gamers of all skill levels -- assuming you have a dual-analog gamepad. You almost never have to use your controller's buttons; instead, the majority of the commands are issued through the analog sticks. During conversations you have to point the analog stick towards the comment you want to make before the time runs out. When you can interact with an object you have to either push the analog stick in a direction or perform a quarter-circle command. In action sequences, the analog sticks become two Simon pads and you have to match the directional commands call for. It's a really unique system that's easy enough for your mom to handle.

Unfortunately, playing the game with the standard keyboard-and-mouse setup is not fun and can get awfully frustrating. Anyone thinking of playing Indigo Prophecy with a keyboard and mouse should do themselves a favor and drop the idea. It's not worth it. A gamepad with dual analog sticks is really the only way to go, and could arguably be called a minimum requirement.